The Year Ahead 2017

Open Society Needs Defending

Open societies are in crisis, and various forms of closed societies – from fascist dictatorships to mafia states – are on the rise. Because elected leaders failed to meet voters’ legitimate expectations and aspirations, electorates have become disenchanted with the prevailing versions of democracy and capitalism.

NEW YORK – Well before Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, I sent a holiday greeting to my friends that read: “These times are not business as usual. Wishing you the best in a troubled world.” Now I feel the need to share this message with the rest of the world. But before I do, I must tell you who I am and what I stand for.

I am an 86-year-old Hungarian Jew who became a US citizen after the end of World War II. I learned at an early age how important it is what kind of political regime prevails. The formative experience of my life was the occupation of Hungary by Hitler’s Germany in 1944. I probably would have perished had my father not understood the gravity of the situation. He arranged false identities for his family and for many other Jews; with his help, most survived.

In 1947, I escaped from Hungary, by then under Communist rule, to England. As a student at the London School of Economics, I came under the influence of the philosopher Karl Popper, and I developed my own philosophy, built on the twin pillars of fallibility and reflexivity. I distinguished between two kinds of political regimes: those in which people elected their leaders, who were then supposed to look after the interests of the electorate, and others where the rulers sought to manipulate their subjects to serve the rulers’ interests. Under Popper’s influence, I called the first kind of society open, the second, closed.

George Soros is Chairman of Soros Fund Management and Chairman of the Open Society Foundations. A pioneer of the hedge-fund industry, he is the author of many books, including
The Alchemy of Finance, The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What it Means, and The Tragedy of the European Union.

Months after the referendum that shook the world, the fallout from Brexit, including the likely economic costs, remains unsettled. Theresa May's government is still wrestling with the basic question of what type of relationship with the EU Britain wants, while European leaders are struggling to develop a united front for negotiations.

Get to grips with President Trump;
Project Syndicate has published more than 100 articles exploring the implications of his presidency for politics, the economy, and world peace and security. They are all here:

In times of social instability, politics tend to make the situation worse. In times of social stability, economics tend to make the situation even better. The EU, therefore, need to find an economic way out of its current crisis, while preventing the downward spiralling of its politics.

I think George vastly overestimates the influence of Putin, and the idea that the election of politicians in Europe who seek conciliation rather than confrontation with Russia implies that "Putun will dominate Europe" is baseless, paranoid nonsense. What does that even mean? Russian soldiers marching down Kurfürstendamm? Obligatory blinis for breakfast? C'mon.
Russia is a fragile, oil-and-gas dependent petrostate with a population of 142 million. The EU has 508 million people and the world's largest, most diverse economy. The idea that Russia or Putin can or will "dominate" the EU merely because the French President or Hungarian PM doesn't follow CIA/ State Dept cues on baiting and hating the FSB/oligarchic regime in Moscow is ludicrous. Chillax, George.

your article shows great insight on world history, events and their potential outcome. Indeed the survival of the European Union democratic process is at risk and calls for fast and dramatic reform, if it is to remain on track and deliver on it's promise.
In addition to the arguments you presented I believe Europe will have no alternative than to develop an independent policy, based on shared European values, at the risk of falling prey to the agenda of other major world players and economical forces (e.g. Russia, China, USA, multi-national companies, etc.). Efforts at national / state level will no longer be sufficient to steer away from the dangers ahead. Nor will the slow incumbent processes be able complete democratic reforms and decision-making in time to be able to allow the EU to respond to challenges from a strong, democratic base to the fast changing world of political and economical events. As you correctly observed the EU arose from the economic sphere (of coal & steel) and while democracy is in Europe's culture (and many achievements have been reached since it's inception) true democratic process is not in the EU genes, so to speak! And takes second place as a result.

While many may question your actions, true convictions and commitment (as well as motives and reputation) and If bringing about an open society European Union is your true main objective I have a suggestion for you.

There is a young and fast growing organisation that has great potential to provide on a European level exactly that democratic strength and policy direction, with the necessary speed that an Open society EU would need to respond to the (sudden ?) threats it is facing. To deliver on this potential (I know you have recognized) and be able to allow the EU bureaucrats to forego bureaucratic processes and make the next step to become the much needed Open and democratic society it claims to remain this new organisation needs to grow even faster and wider.

Instead of donating from your extensive wealth (however badly needed by any such young organisation) your voluntary, public and independent endorsement & support for a more democratic EU (and maybe even that specific organisation) could prove to be more valuable to their success to reform the EU into a Open society than your money or reputation alone ever could.

First, he ilicits your sympathy for his unfortunate childhood. Millions of people suffered this same tragedy, myself included, when I wound up in an unpleasant orphanage at the age of one, because of World War Two. What has that to do with what is happening today?

Some of what Soros says makes sense. Other interpretations are misleading. The fact is that following the collapse of Russia in 1991, and an American PROMISE not to expand NATO further East, both the European Union and NATO rapidly expanded into Eastern Europe which incorporated most of the former Soviet Block nations.

The problem with NATO and the EU, is that they were on a power grab to expand as quickly as possible into as many nations as possible. The fact is that the EU expanded far too quickly and tried to homogenize all member states into a regulatory environment that simply could not work.

It takes a long time to convert a non-democratic state into a democratic state. New democratic institutions need to be created. A new culture has to evolve. Freedom of the Press must be established. Democratic elections must be structured and held. All of this takes time, and in some cases may take a generaton or two. Even today's democratic societies took decades if not centuries to develop their democratic infrastructure, systems, and institutions.

In a recent BBC report, it was noted that after more than 20 years in court and £20 million in legal fees, Britain was unable to deport an illegal immigrant because of EU laws and regulations. Is it any wonder some Britons want out?

The reality is that one size does not fit all, and the EU would have been well advised to take things much slower and to allow individual countries to determine an internal approach into ultimate integration. But, as has always been the case throughout history, power corrupts and greedy people take control.

As for Russia, what a pathetic joke. Both the US and the EU state that Russia is a threat to Eastern Europe. How stupid do they think society is? NATO constitutes more than 60% of the world's annual military expenditures, while Russia accounts for some 5%. NATO has absorbed virtually all of the former Soviet Warsaw Pact countries, while Russia has lost its relationship with these countries. WHO'S IS THE AGRESSOR And who is the greater military Threat?

Unfortunately as President Eisenhower pointed out in 1962, the US military/industrial complex appears to have taken over and the world is locked into a never ending arms race. What a pity.

Instead of working towards a heaven on earth, it appears the world is determined to create a hell on earth. Unfortunately Soros appears to be part of the problem instead of part of future.

ITs interesting that precisely the opposite case can be made with the same logic. As a UK citizen I see that I have no influence whatsoever over the election of the 5 EU presidents, or much else within the EU because the UK is inherently outnumbered - Net contributor, outside of the Eurozone, subject to severe recruitment discrimination, and the flip side of executive power cornered by Germany and Bureaucracy often a francophone sinecure. With the English faced with a decade of record mass migration we are faced with a Geman led fanatic organisation which insists we must take even more population to the levels of Bulgaria, Latvia, and Lithuania combined. So to me Brexit is a democratic liberation movement from German led oppression, that replaces democracy with creditor dictatorship and protection racket style gangland coercion. Perhaps Mr Soros needs to ask himself why the institution of the EU is more important than an open democratic society in the UK? Its a huge assumption that Brexit supporters are for a closed society and one that I have yet to see justified in any article presented in this publication.

Dear Mr. Soros, I feel that despite your own history you have forgotten how what has replaced Nazism particularly in the guise of the EU has many of the traits and similarities that democrats like myself so fear. I find it impossible to believe when you say that the world is turning from peace you regard the EU as an instrument of peace. OK there has not been a war in (western) Europe for the best part of a century, but that does not mean that the nationalist egos which caused previous conflicts have not been in operation. If anything, for many in the UK we have seen the EU become a very obvious platform for Germany to cast off its "German" mantle and become "European" whilst continuing to disguise and propagate the German National interest under the radar. The mistaken creation of the Euro in sucking in economies that were clearly not strong enough to share a currency like that was a political decision by Germany aided and abetted by France to allow the Euro to exist and continue to hide the strength of the Deutche Mark so that the formidable manufacturing machine that is Germany could continue its work to dominate Europe through exporting to the nations that surrounded it in a currency those nations could afford, thus strengthening and growing its own power base. At the same time it (EU) has made exporting to Germany and France very difficult in areas that the French and Germans want to keep for themselves, and why the marketing of financial services from the UK has not been very successful because of the blocking tactics of these two nations. Britain with her very open trade approach, have allowed Germany to export vast amounts of manufactured goods and to compete on an equal playing field with UK companies, Germany has side stepped obligations for EU defence and have been happy to allow the UK to pick up the tab for that, whilst supplying equipment to the UK armed forces for the task, and bit by bit, quietly and surreptitiously France and Germany have been creating the EU in its own image.
I speak not as an anti EU Brit, but as a German heritage English born businesswoman, with family who have explained to me what Germany is doing and I feel that it is important to highlight what Germany is doing and to really warn others, that Germany's ambitions of world domination have never gone away, they have been frustrated but have never faded and that far from the EU being an association of equals, you have in fact a client State in Germany and the rest of the vassal States dependant on the Euro and Germany's patronage of that currency basically calling the shots.

All this ridiculous hysteria about populism, is simply the realisation of many educated people that we are sleep walking into a German dominated political and economic structure, where the shackles have become the Euro and the key to release is economic collapse. I am sure Machiavelli could not have thought of a more devastating method of coercion. The people in Britain have always been highly sceptical of the EU and whilst content to be part of a "trading bloc" in the guise of the EU no one until last year had ever been asked if they want to be part of a political AND economic Union. And herein lies the problem. The Elites were prepared, with the connivance of our own Europhile left leaning politicians to sign up to any numbers of Treaties, bringing the creation of the EU and a United States of Europe closer. Mr. Soros you may have been a key player in this, but being a successful money man does not necessarily make you a human psychologist or have empathy with those who could see the tell takes signs of an emerging authoritarian State. Perhaps the best example of how the EU will behave to States who do not tow the line is what has happened to Greece, Peace as you put it, is secured by putting people's feet to the flames, as it was in many other authoritarian empires (none of which I hasten to add have survived to the modern day). The fundamental error of the EU elites and of course people like Jean Monnet and other incarnations was (as we know) to create a United States of Europe by stealth and by the time the sleepy half daft populace woke up there would be nothing they could do about it. What a ghastly plot and as we can see now, what a massive failure it was for elites to double cross the populations across Europe, because what "populism" is, is a wholesale rejection of the plan to force everyone into a one size fits all currency; political and regulatory framework and enforce and encourage mass migration to destroy cultures and languages and values and belief systems and replace them with a mishmash of neo liberal candy floss, spouting multiculturalism and effectively the freedom not to be free any longer.
The EU has pumped huge amounts of money into gagging the population either by empowering the European Court of Justice or its own internal systems which prevent any criticism or debate on any culture on the basis that such discussions are regarded as racist. So if in Britain (and France) we see Hungarian gypsies expanding their territories in pick pocketing; fraud and violent crime the public is silenced. Likewise in the UK we have had a large number of Poles involved in people trafficking and closed shop employment but nothing can be said because that would be racist. Germany admitting a million unknown peoples into a free travel Schengen zone, undermining everyone's security, nothing can be said because this is regarded as anti refugee and racist. See the trend. Europe is free to obey, we are not free speak our minds, we are not free to debate, and the latest plans for the EU to make negative comments about the EU to be outlawed is further evidence (if it were needed) that the EU has taken on the characteristics of a rather nasty authoritarian post democratic superstate, which is modelled very much on the lines of the old soviet union, with Germany at its heart the nation pulling the levers of power.
Britain was never content to be a full political player in Europe. It is not for any fanciful belief we have an ego way about our punching weight, simply that as a country that has fought to the death to defend our home and our values, we see in the EU a wreckless, democracy free enterprise which we will not entrust with our future. The UK never was part of shengen, never was part of the Euro and for very good and sensible economic and political reasons. Our decision to "leave" the EU was a democratic choice, while we were still able to vote, that choice will surely be closed after we have left and all those left in the EU will be locked in forever - how that will pan out into the future we can only guess, but if history is anything to go by it will not end well.
Britain will hopefully be able to expose the worst excesses of the EU in its negotiations with us, where the peoples of Europe will see the mask of the elites slip as the old tendencies of Germany and an embittered France will try to place the knife into the British economy. What the elites fail to understand is that the whole world and the Europeans will be watching and if the EU is stupid enough to play this out publicly then what happens with the UK will form the blue touch paper of its own undoing.
Europe is not the ill educated heartlands it was in the past. Many of us have one or two degrees of education, we have the internet we have 24/7 news.
All Britain and the USA have done in voting for Brexit and Trump is to flag up that the existing models we are being forced down are failing, the EU has failed at virtually everything it has set itself to achieve....foreign policy; security policy; military policy; economic policy; trade policy; transparency; etc etc and so too in the USA where the States is failing millions of people by allowing its own manufacturing base to wither and die without extracting better trade terms from China and other large trading partners.
Populism is the messenger is the messenger and the message - the question is whether navel gazing EU elites and elected politicians can step up to lead the world onto a brighter path. I fear we lack the leadership to enable that to happen.

I have the perfect system for preserving elite rule, no matter how unworthy. Just delete all comments posted as a criticism of the elite. Of course, this approach can't possibly fail. With strict censorship, Brexit and Trump don't have a chance. Renzi will win.

My take is that the European New Right is leaning towards Putin as a simple self-preservation instinct to balance the increasing weight of Germany, who is about to inherit a properly unified continental Europe, with the British "out", the French "down" and Americans "away". It took Germany 140 years to finally culminate their conquest. World analysts are projecting a future world partitioned in regional areas of influence, led respectively by the U.S, China and Russia. Well, Germany is a sleeping giant with all trends on its favor, among them the dissolution of the EU.

The risk here is: they could lose touch with the population. If he's surrounded by advisers, he won't see the full problem or hear the full truth. Luckily, Trump is at least connected at a Twitter level.

After the Crash of 2008, new hierarchies were attempted and destroyed in the vacuum of power.

Behind the scenes, power is consolidating.

Treaties are an apt point. The language of contracts is deliberately tricked across foreign languages. That which is contracted for delivery is frequently not the actual item delivered. This is with deliberate intention.

I agree to practically everything Soros stands for and he explains in this article except in one fuindamental point Italy did not refuse to adapt to a mnw and more modern correction of theConstitution. Prime Minister Renzi mixed very positive reforms with very abnsurd changes that were only made for the convinience of the ruling parrty, cutting of a lot of the democratic wishes of the peop'le. Renzi was behaving more like a populist leader publizising his reforms outside of Italyas fundamental. bue he lost (40% against &0% of the People who was voting not on the Reforms, but on Ranzi as a Prime Minister. Result, he had to resign after the vote- But Italians are for REAL REFORMS.

When I lived I lived in Italy 40 years ago, I learned what it truly means to live in an open society. It is a society in which the full range of political, economic and cultural views find expression in media and representation in government. Italy then, had everything from the farthest left to the farthest right, but was governed mostly from the center. For the past twenty years, I have lived in Japan, which also has a Communist Party and a full spectrum of other parties, all of them with seats in the Diet.

We used to hear all about the brainwashing and propaganda carried out by the Communists in the Soviet Union and China. But I recall Saturday matinees in which I was forced to watch propagandist "newsreels" prior to the feature I had paid to see. I was too innocent at the time to consider them Propaganda, but when I revisit those films today on youtube and other sites, I can't help but regard them as brainwashing and propaganda.

The range of beliefs that find expression and representation in America today and ever since anyone alive can remember, range from far right to a center left that would be considered center right in either Italy or Japan, or the rest of the world for that matter. And when it comes to Economics there is only one right way. Anything else is 'beyond the pale.' So where is our free market of ideas? Where is our "open society?" It can only imagine itself as such in the Saturday matinee newsreels.

Yes, I believe that Mr. Soros has got it basically correct. Global governance is moving quickly to the far right. One of the driving forces of the movement is and will be the massive immigration caused by extreme changes in weather patterns. When we combine immigration conflicts with the next industrial revolution and its corresponding increase in unemployment, the European movement to the right may be repeated many times over throughout the world. We need strong, effective leadership that offers clear direction, not ethnic division,

I am not going to comment on Soros’s article, instead a few musings about the comments below. I am surprised about the number of comments (close to 100 at the time of my comment) and the huge number of different contributors who are not regulars on this site (so a bit intrigued that so many new names turned up to respond to this particular article or author). The range of opinions expressed below is surprising in the degree of divergence between the opinions. Polarisation is not a surprise anymore, but the degree of it and the intensity is. Encountering it here, too, is a stark reminder of how divided and antagonistic our society has become – there is no transformative or conciliatory process in engaging with the arguments of Soros’ article (or any other article on this site, for that matter), but the comments become a way of displaying and reinforcing the position of their writers. This degree of division, polarisation and antagonism (typical of how social media and its tools shape our politics) goes beyond the healthy diversity of a pluralistic, vibrant democracy. This is now self-defeating and undermining a democratic order based on rational debate. All reasoned arguments are now countered by seemingly valid but different reasoned arguments, without the chance of developing a consensual or compromise position that can underpin political action in a manner most of us can recognise and accept as democratic. The alternative developing at the moment seems to be decision making based on emotions (ranging from boredom and mild anxiety to violent hatred) and democratic processes run the risk of oppressive outcomes or actual elimination of democracy.
Without pushing the parallels too far, all this is reminding me of the Weimar Republic and in general, of Europe in the 20s and 30s. Again, this is not new and I’m not the only one. But for me the sad thing is that there were plenty of people then who were worried about the turn events were taking, but were unable to make themselves heard or believed. Such deep, irreconcilable divisions in weak(ened) democracies resulted eventually in the abolition of democracy and in the end, of the sense of humanity.
Maybe we should just shut up now for a moment, try to engage in an internal dialogue and think twice before we say/write/post anything. Amplifying further this digital cacophony is not helping anybody.

Happy new year George, I'm glad that you also is trying to do a change, but I don't understand what you want. What society do you foresee that will handle climate change, automation (i.e. we can produce all we need with 2-5% of the people), wealth concentration, over consumption. You are just complaining without providing any alternative, or vague ideas. I'm looking for the alternative - if you anyone out there are too please contact me at Kahit-na.hata at mail com. Good new year...

George Soros may or may not be right about Trump’s being a con artist and wanting to be dictator of America. We will know the result in four years. But Soros fails to develop why Trump and rightist European parties have ascended. American voters had to choose between inertia--electing Clinton and the continuation of Obama’s dictated, divisive domestic policy, his pusillanimous foreign policy and the resulting financial debilitation of America--or an alternative. Obama is all talk and no action. Trump is all talk and action. Whether his actions will be restorative remains for us to evaluate. Trump blew apart the rampant tunnel thinking, aka “political correctness”, and voters could see light once again. They were at least able to say, for example, Merry Christmas, and “radical Islamic terrorists”. Obama had so changed the vocabulary of reality to obfuscate his machinations that visions of “We”, “Brave New World” and “1984” abounded. Obama, by his infamous “pen and phone”, sought and to this day still seeks, to single-handedly change overnight fundaments of America—never-mind his counterpart the publically elected Congress. It is Obama who has acted as dictator. Soros should acknowledge that, and realize that in democracies—while they last—voters can cast out undemocratic leaders.

I'm optimistic for 2017 and believe the EU will come out of its current crisis but it does need reforming and needs to sell it self a lot better than it has in the past but the selling has to be a job done by the people not the elites or politicians. If it can achieve that it will continue as it will become relevant. Unfortunately Cameron et al tried project fear and all that did was to confirm people's suspicion that the EU may not be a good thing and since June EU politicians have sounded more like the Empire in Star Wars than decent well meaning people. But you are right there is a feedback loop affirming populist policies and the momentum is with the populists for now but like all trends it will revert especially when the economic effects are felt.

George Soros is undoubtably an experienced and very wealthy man with much to contribute. I fail to see however how his personal experience in Nazi-dominated Hungary does not tell him what happens when "One Volk" and " Socialism" become borderless concepts with one currency, one way of thinking. It`s what we voted against with Brexit earlier in this year, and dare I say that Trumps election ( a ludicrous and comedic event) is a response directly aimed to hit the liberal one world liberals who are sleepwalking into an Islamofascism that we have to stem. Really surprised that Soros`s experience doesn`t warn him of the EU/UN One World that is a danger to us. We voted democratically both sides of the pond to thwart the Progressive, post-democratic instincts of the Davos Divas. And their response has shown that Fascism comes once more-only in the guise and pastel shades of "ant-fascism"

To contrast the Marshall plan after World War II with the so called "austerity" programs in recent years (thereby implying American generosity vs. German stinginess) is completely misleading.

Germany does not have the obligation to agree to a European transfer union where foreign institutions decide on the German budget rendering democratic elections in Germany ineffective. I cannot remember that the Marshall plan would have been potentially unlimited with respect to the amount and the duration of transfers, that the receivers would have been allowed to control the cashflows (e.g. that European states would have been allowed to print US dollars at their own discretion) or that the American electorate would have been overruled. Certainly, the Americans would have never agreed to that - so why should the Germans?

Greece has already received 30 times the Marshall plan without any signs of improvement. Italy, Spain and Portugal got and still get interest rates they have not seen in their entire history and completely indpendent of their economical situation (Italian interest rates lower than the US ones with debt level of 130% of GDP and zero growth).

In Germany, it was never questioned to contribute a little bit extra for cooperation and partnership in Europe. But if "European Union" means the abolishment of democracy and the rule of law then it lacks any legitimation whatsoever. And this cannot be called "looking for your narrow self-interest".

From the Netherlands I can report that it is all more simple than you describe. Since about 15 years our elite has handed over our sovereignity to a great extend to the EU bureaucracy in Brussels. Protest of the people ( and that of the French people ) was surpressed. Brussel is an autocratic institution with their own agenda; building a European State. They are not interested in the people and have made many dissastrous mistakes such as: not protecting our outside borders, stupid immigation laws, shoddy intoduction of the Euro. They operate through manipulation instead of communication. The result is that we are flooded with immigrants, our standerd of living has not increased in 15 years, we had to pay lots of of money for Greece. A country that should not have been in the Eurozone in the first place. The main issues in the coming elections will be immigration and curtialing the influence of Brussels. The EU should limit its role mainly to economics and controlling immigration. The EU has become too complex, there is no concensus on its goal, and it is also poorly managed. So a reflection on a number of basic issues is badly needed.

1. Soros had done great work in promoting the OPEN SOCIETY. This is the term created by Popper in his book "The Open Society and its Enemies". You should read it. It is included in the 100 most important books of the twentieth century. But Popper doesn't mention VULGAR concepts like the 1% or the elite. J S Mill first described majority rule as VULGAR democracy and Popper seconded the choice of the word VULGAR. Mill also pointed out that the worst kind of tyranny is majority rule. The last thing we want is rule by the mob. Popper pointed out that the one and only kind of government that permits change of leadership without violence is democracy and every other kind is a tyranny.
I disagree with so much of what Soros has to say and I have read most of his comments since reading his autobiography "Soros on Soros" some twenty years ago. The difference between the OPEN and the CLOSED society (Popper's terms) is exactly as described by Popper. But today we can add that MODERN PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACIES ARE RULED BY THE BEST ARGUMENT OVER THE LONGER TERM. They can make short term mistakes but over the long term they can do no wrong in their foreign and domestic policy. It is not possible to do wrong when you are ruled by the best argument. Comments welcome.

To 'do whatever one can ' sounds dangerous in the hands of the most powerful person in the world. Noble, in concept, he still misses the point. America wants its lunch back, whether its good or bad for the EU. Countries like Greece, portugal italy etc have had 70 years to Go-To-Work to save their own society like good Americans and Chinese. Theyve had every modern liberty handed to them on a platter including defense and yet this hasnt convinced them of putting on their big boy pants and indeed going to work. To the contrary, theyve not only abused the system to their benefit, defaulting on their creditors, but have been active in the UN undermining America, the embodiment of the classical liberal values. Before Mr Soros goes on a crusade against American Russian relations, he should acknowledge that the classical liberal values are exactly what has defended the libertine EU values since WWII.

THE ATLANTIC PACIFIC : IN DEFENSE OF GLOBALIZATION
In relating his own salvation story, GS inadvertently bares open the fallacies of Geographic Unions in a Globalised World.
When Charnock stepped into India in 1659, little did he imagine The Anglosphere that would result from his first steps in India.
Charnock went on to create Calcutta - Britain's Empire's Eastern Capital - while his Puritan sibling Stephen masterminded the hard drive.
The Ivy League perhaps the lasting monument to the Puritan hard drive that resulted in America taking over from The British Empire.
The Anglosphere perhaps The Salvation that enabled millions escape the dogmatic quagmire that USSR and EUSSR became.
The Globalization implicit in The Anglosphere created The World we have grown up in.
EUSSR dreams of changing the agenda of The West - represents megalomania of The Mediterranean.
ClubMed in attempting to hijack the Transatlantic Partnership - inadvertently pushed The Anglosphere.
The Anglosphere has embraced The Pacific as an alternative to The Atlantic Uncertainty.
In embracing The Atlantic-Pacific, The Anglosphere is in touch with Real Globalisation.
Eschewing the embrace of EUSSR is Defense of Open Society - not its rejection.

I think I understand what George is talking about....but taking his definitions of open and closed societies and other points he makes within this article...I can't fathom his support for the democratic party. It would seem to me to better fit his definitions than the Republican party. I'm not attacking George. I'm an independent but this is the first time I've seen him explain where he is coming from and now I am completely baffled.

Thank you for the brilliant synopsis of what went wrong. Our leaders have succumbed to the "My will be done" hubris.
There cannot be an Open Society of Closed Minds.
Best wishes for your commendable efforts.

Some non-openness or unopenness needs defending. It needs being different from counrty to country.
It can be the basis for international cooperation. If ignored, it can be the seed of international friction and enmity.

Soros had done great work in promoting the OPEN SOCIETY. This is the term created by Popper in his book "The Open Society and its Enemies". You should read it. It is included in the 100 most important books of the twentieth century. But Popper doesn't mention VULGAR concepts like the 1% or the elite. J S Mill first described majority rule as VULGAR democracy and Popper seconded the choice of the word VULGAR. Mill also pointed out that the worst kind of tyranny is majority rule. The last thing we want is rule by the mob. Popper pointed out that the one and only kind of government that permits change of leadership without violence is democracy and every other kind is a tyranny.
I disagree with so much of what Soros has to say and I have read most of his comments since reading his autobiography "Soros on Soros" some twenty years ago. The difference between the OPEN and the CLOSED society (Popper's terms) is exactly as described by Popper. But today we can add that MODERN PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACIES ARE RULED BY THE BEST ARGUMENT OVER THE LONGER TERM. They can make short term mistakes but over the long term they can do no wrong in their foreign and domestic policy. It is not possible to do wrong when you are ruled by the best argument. Comments welcome.

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